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Legendary Leaf Johnny Bower scores hometown welcome

Weston-area street is renamed in honour of beloved goalie.

Maple Leafs legendary goalie Johnny Bower is surrounded by supporters on Patika Ave. in Weston, where Bower lived during some of his years with the Leafs in the 1960s. Bower was attending a ceremonial renaming of the street to Johnny Bower Blvd. on Saturday. (SUSAN PIGG / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

Legendary Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Johnny Bower in action during a game against the Boston Bruins in December 1959. (TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO)

Legendary goalie Johnny Bower poses with Peter Kalamaris at Peter's Barber Shop in Weston Saturday after a ceremonial renaming of the street Bower once lived on during the Maple Leafs' glory days in the early 1960s. Also on display was the Vezina Trophy Bower won in 1961 and 1965. (SUSAN PIGG / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

Former Leafs' goalie Johnny Bower, second from left, poses with Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, left, and Councillor Frances Nunziata, to his right, during a ceremonial renaming of Patika Ave., to Johnny Bower Blvd. Bower living on Patika during the Leafs' glory days in the early 1960s. (SUSAN PIGG / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

It’s been more than 50 years since legendary goalie Johnny Bower has lived on Patika Ave. — and 45 years since he’s laced up for the Maple Leafs — but it seemed like yesterday as the hockey hero greeted the crowd waiting for him on a quiet corner in Weston.

One fan came armed with an old goalie stick, used by 89-year-old Bower back in the day.

Another, area resident Don Barber, came sporting a Maple Leaf T-shirt autographed by Bower decades ago and then happily handed over his Leaf baseball hat to the famed “China Wall” as a sign of thanks.

Former neighbours such as Robert Heath spoke of old times and how the houses on Patika Ave. seemed to jump off their foundations as residents cheered what would turn out to be the Leafs’ final Stanley Cup victory in 1967.

Others recalled how Bower was happy to take shots from area kids during rousing street-hockey games.

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For a beloved hometown boy who already has so many honours and trophies to his name — including the Vezina Trophy, twice — Bower was clearly touched Saturday as Patika Ave. got a ceremonial second name, Johnny Bower Blvd.

“It’s a great day for me and my family,” said Bower, as his wife of 66 years, Nancy, and one of his three children stood by his side. “This is a better ovation than I used to get at Maple Leaf Gardens.”

While the Bowers rented their modest home at No. 16 for just three years, they were during the early 1960s when the Leafs were on fire and Bower was one of their “character” players, in the words of Toronto’s Deputy Mayor who, along with local councillor and hockey fan , presented a commemorative plaque to Bower.

“I’m going to take Eddie Shack’s picture off the wall and put up this one,” quipped Bower, to laughter from the crowd.

From the street ceremony, it was off to nearby Peter’s Barber Shop — better known as “the other Hockey Hall of Fame” because every wall is covered with hockey memorabilia — where crowds lined up to get Bower’s autograph.

Owner, barber and hockey fanatic Peter Kalamaris started the petition to honour Bower (the renaming is strictly symbolic — residents will not have to change their mailing address.) He even managed to have the Vezina trophy on hand, just for the day, as an added salute to Bower.

But by the end of the celebration, Kalamaris had a surprise special trophy of his own to add to the shop’s impressive collection, started by his late father back in 1961.

Bower, who still lives in the GTA, signed his old goalie stick and handed it over to Kalamaris, who plans to hang it in a prominent spot.

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